This invention relates generally to hair curling. More particularly, the present invention relates to a hair curler for imparting a curl to hair for cosmetic purposes.
The typical hair curler is a plastic cylinder around which the hair is wound about when wet. Clips and other means are provided for keeping the hair in place about the cylinder until it dries afterwhich a curl is formed. Heat or chemical agents may be applied to the hair to enhance the curl. Another type of hair curler is an electric wand-type curling iron.
A disadvantage of using traditional hair curlers such as the cylinder and clip design is that they are awkward to sleep with. Another problem is that electric waving apparatus are dangerous to use particularly with small children in the household.
A practical hair curler, for which there is an unfulfilled need, wherein the hair curler apparatus being capable of safely imparting a uniform and stylish curl in hair, and one which allows a user to comfortably sleep with the hair curler in use, is not available.
In view of the above mentioned problems and limitations associated with conventional hair waving and curler devices, it was recognized by the present inventor that there is an unfulfilled need for an improved hair curler which is simple in design, practical, fun to use and is economically manufactured and which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art devices.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new and improved hair curler which avoids the aforementioned problems of prior art devices.
It is an object of the instant invention to provide a hair curler with a combination of a spool for receiving a lock of human hair for wrapping thereabout and a clip having a first portion and a second portion, for clamping the spool and the lock of human hair together.
It is an object of the instant invention to provide a hair curler with a means for pivotally connecting the first portion and said second portion of the clip together.
It is an object of the instant invention to provide a hair curler with a biasing means disposed on the first portion and on the second portion of the clip for maintaining the first portion and the second portion of the clip biased toward each other when in use.
It is another object of the instant invention to provide a hair curler with a means for releasably retaining the first portion and the second portion of the clip in engagement with each other by the biasing means.
It is another object of the instant invention to provide a hair curler with a means for aligning the clip onto the spool.
It is another object of the instant invention to provide a hair curler which may be manufactured from readily available materials by conventional manufacturing processes.
It is still another object of the instant invention to provide a hair curler which allows a user to be able to comfortably sleep with the hair curler in use.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a hair curler that is simple in design, simple to manufacture, low in cost and fun to use.
Further objects will become apparent from the following description and claims.
This invention results from the realization that there is a great need for an improved hair curler. The resulting invention provides a user the capability of conveniently being able to safely and effectively style hair without the problems associated with the prior art devices.
The above and the other objects are achieved in accordance with the present invention, which, according to a first aspect, provides a hair curler which has a spool for receiving a lock of human hair for wrapping thereabout and a clip, having a first portion and a second portion, for clamping the spool and the lock of human hair together. The spool and the clip, in combination, produce a curl in the lock of human hair when the clip is placed on, and releasably secured to the spool with the lock of human hair sandwiched therebetween the spool and the clip without the clip directly contacting the lock of human hair. The first portion and the second portion of the clip have means for pivotally connecting the portions of the clip together in the form of a hinge. There are biasing means, disposed on the first portion and on the second portion of the clip for maintaining the first portion and the second portion biased toward each other when in use. The biasing means is achieved by fabricating the clip from a flexible material which inherently allows the material to flex and to bow when the first portion and the second portion of the clip are gently urged toward each other. There are also means for releasably retaining the first portion and the second portion of the clip in engagement with each other by the biasing means in the form of a keeper formed on the first portion where an apex of the second portion releasably engages the keeper.
The second aspect is a special case of the first aspect of this invention with additional features. There are means for aligning the clip onto the spool, which includes a guide disposed on the first portion of the clip about midway along a length of the first portion for engaging the spool having a bore centrally disposed therethrough so that the clip may be aligned on the spool by human feel when the guide is seated in the bore of the spool. The guide is dimensioned and sized to allow the guide to penetrate the bore of the spool an amount necessary to allow the clip to be aligned by the human feel of a user.